hundred to measure my progress, because
often the summit is invisible. Or I try to main
tain a rate of a thousand feet an hour. It is
important to get up the mountain quickly to
allow myself extra time to pause if I discover
something on the way or when I reach the sum
mit; I may even find I need to go to the other
side of the peak, which could be miles away.
And although it is mentally taxing at 20,000
feet, I force myself to pause and look back at
least once an hour to memorize the terrain be
low me, so I can picture it accurately for a safe
trip down. I make a mental note of likely
places to take refuge if a storm should sud
denly come up. I notice swaths of scree, which
is hard to climb but perfect for a fast descent.
And with my dread of spraining an ankle on
unknown terrain, I also watch the clock. I
don't want to get caught in the dark.
Strenuous as the climbing itself always is,
excavation work is even more demanding at
these altitudes. A Swiss-Chilean team I led
spent a total of 12 days on the 19,855-foot sum
mit of Mount Copiap6 in Chile and devoted at
least 200 man-hours of work to excavating a
platform that was only six feet deep and
roughly 26 feet by 13 feet. The ground was as
hard as rock, making progress maddeningly
slow. The cold was often intense, and the alti
tude exacerbated our physical fatigue. Every
body seemed to find a reason to work with a
trowel rather than a shovel.
Before some climbs, I have invoked the
name of the mountain and made simple offer
ings, usually sweets, and poured out a small
libation of liquor onto the ground. It is a form
of meditation for me, and in the process I've
gained a sense of respect for the mountains and
even, to a degree, a personal relationship with
them not unlike the Andean tradition. This
isn't especially odd; most climbers have expe
rienced at times a special closeness with the
mountains, and some have had what might be
called religious experiences on them. Like
most Western climbers, I am prone to
approach the mountain as if it is something
to be attacked and conquered. Performing a
simple Andean ritual, I have found, makes me
feel more at ease when looking for ancient
sacred sites.
NationalGeographic, March 1992
108